Lyman Enos Knapp (November 5, 1837 – October 9, 1904) was an American lawyer, journalist, and politician who served as the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the

District of Alaska The District of Alaska was the federal government’s designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. Previously (1867–1884) it had been known as the Department of Alaska, a military designation ...

from 1889 to 1893. He was also a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1884 to 1885.

Early life and education

Knapp was born November 5, 1837 in

Somerset, Vermont Somerset is an unincorporated town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a total population of 6. Somerset is one of five unincorporated towns in Vermont, having been disincorporated in 1937. The town has no ...

to Hiram and Elvira (Stearns) Knapp. He was educated in

Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census. Manchester Village, an incorporated village, and Manchester Center are settlement centers within t ...

, first attending

Burr and Burton Academy Burr and Burton Academy (BBA) is a private, non-profit, co-educational, day and boarding school in Manchester, Vermont, United States. It was established in 1829 through a bequest from local businessman Joseph Burr. In addition to serving local ...

and then graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College in 1862.

Career

Military service

After graduating from college, Knapp enlisted as a private in the Company I, 16th Vermont Infantry Regiment and was quickly promoted to captain of Company F,

17th Vermont Infantry Regiment The 17th Vermont Infantry Regiment was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the IX Corps in the eastern theater from March 1864 to July 1865. The regiment was mustered into United States ...

. During his military service, he was wounded at Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg. Knapp rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

for his gallantry during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

Vermont

Following the war, Knapp returned to Vermont where he published the ''

Middlebury Register ''The Middlebury Register'' was a weekly newspaper published in Middlebury, Vermont Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home ...

'' from 1865 till 1878. In addition to the work on his own newspaper, he submitted articles to the ''

Chicago Inter Ocean The ''Chicago Inter Ocean'', also known as the ''Chicago Inter-Ocean'', is the name used for most of its history for a newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, from 1865 until 1914. Its editors included Charles A. Dana and Byron Andrews. Histo ...

'' and the '' American Law Register''. Beyond his journalistic efforts, Knapp served as Clerk of the

Vermont Legislature The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

during the 1872–1873 session. After being

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1876, he served as a

probate judge A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...

for the Addison district from 1879 to 1889. Knapp was also elected for a term in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1884 to 1885.

Governor of Alaska

Knapp was appointed Governor of the District of Alaska by President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

, his term beginning on April 20, 1889. At the time of his appointment, many Alaskans desired a resident governor and were disappointed receiving an "outsider". The district did, however, see a number of improvements during his administration. Postal service was extended with the creation of over of new mail routes. Knapp also helped establish a historical society and library. On the legal front, Knapp asked for Alaska to be granted a delegate to the U.S. Congress. He also supported creation of a commission to revise the district's

legal code A code of law, also called a law code or legal code, is a systematic collection of statutes. It is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the cod ...

and, arguing that lack of clear land possession discouraged improvements, lobbied for a revision of the land possession laws. To help maintain law and order, Knapp help organize both a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

and Indian police. The former turned into a source of amusement for some area residents due to the governor's predilection for dressing in his military uniform and watch the militia parade before him. During his term, an international dispute over seal fisheries reached a zenith. The United States, claiming that seals from Alaska were being killed by Canadian and other ships on the high seas, had seized several ships and brought them to

Sitka russian: Ситка , native_name_lang = tli , settlement_type = Consolidated city-borough , image_skyline = File:Sitka 84 Elev 135.jpg , image_caption = Downtown Sitka in 1984 , image_size ...

. Arbitration to resolve the dispute was agreed to in 1891 between Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As a result a set of restrictions was imposed on seal hunting near Alaska. Knapp was replaced as governor on August 29, 1893, following the appointment of James Sheakley by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

Later career

Following his term as governor, Knapp moved to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

and established a law practice. He was active in civil organizations such as the Institute of Civics and

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...

and received an honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from

Whitman College Whitman College is a private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. The school offers 53 majors and 33 minors in the liberal arts and sciences, and it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Whitman was the first college in the Pacific ...

in 1893. Knapp was also the founder and president of the

Anti-Saloon League The Anti-Saloon League (now known as the ''American Council on Addiction and Alcohol Problems'') is an organization of the temperance movement that lobbied for prohibition in the United States in the early 20th century. Founded in 1893 in Ober ...

of Washington. He remained active in the practice of law until his death on October 9, 1904.

Personal life

On January 23, 1865, Knapp married Martha A Severance of

Middlebury, Vermont Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. History On ...

. The couple had four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knapp, Lyman Enos 1837 births 1904 deaths Alaska Republicans People from Windham County, Vermont Middlebury College alumni Union Army colonels People of Vermont in the American Civil War Vermont state court judges Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Governors of the District of Alaska Vermont Republicans 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges